Trinity scored with 2:06 to go in the first half, tying the game and giving the Wildcats a much-needed dose of momentum against Class 3A No. 1-ranked Mobile Christian.

It didn’t last.

The Leopards (13-0) responded with a five-play, 61-yard drive in just 62 seconds to grab the lead and pulled away for a 42-21 victory over Trinity in the 3A quarterfinals at Ragsdale-Boykin Field in Montgomery on Friday night.

“That was really important,” Mobile Christian’s Michael Moore said. “It gave us a lot of energy. It was a close game, and it just gave us a lot of energy.”

The final score didn’t reflect the battle through the first three quarters. Trinity (11-2) battled evenly with the Leopards for three quarters before Mobile Christian scored two late touchdowns to seal the victory and send the Leopards (13-0) into the semifinals against reigning 3A champ St. James, the team that ended their season last year.

“We challenged our kids, that we wanted to get to a fourth-quarter game because nobody really got them into the fourth quarter this year, nobody’s really played them close,” Trinity coach Brian Seymore said. “I’m proud of our kids, played super physical, super hard. You hate to go out like this, but sometimes you’ve just got to tip your hat. That’s a really good football team. Coach (Ronnie) Cottrell does a tremendous job.”

A pair of 1-yard touchdown runs by Ross Sanders, who finished with 144 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, helped the Wildcats tie the game late in the first half. Mobile Christian’s Damien Gatson then worked his magic, completing 4-of-5 passes, including a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Woullard with 1:04 to go before halftime, on the pivotal drive.

“We just haven’t had many situations this year where we had to be under pressure,” Cottrell observed. “They were, and they answered. It was phenomenal.”

The Wildcats had a shot to tie the game midway through the fourth quarter, but a sack by Christopher Fillingim forced a Trinity punt. Mobile Christian’s line had begun to wear down the Wildcats. The Leopards had 104 rushing yards through the first three quarters, but rolled up 123 in the fourth.

Coachspeak: “They were humongous. They’re very physical and have a lot of talent. Their running back (Anthonio Brown) is dynamic and No. 13 (Moore), their slot receiver, is a phenomenal athlete. I thought we had a great plan, but they’re tough to tackle.” – Seymore

Stat sheet: Brown finished with 119 rushing yards on 26 carries, while Gatson was 13-of-16 passing for 179 yards and two touchdowns.

What’s next?: Mobile Christian advances to play St. James, which defeated Thomasville 28-26, on Friday.

Did you know?: St. James defeated Mobile Christian 35-7 in last year’s 3A semifinals. before beating Piedmont 45-28 to win the championship.